Buffing wheel



Jan. 26, 1943. I v, J. TWYNING ETAL P 2,309,553

'LBUFFING WHEEL Filed Feb; 24, 1941 s Sheets-Sheetl Jan. 2 19 3. v v. J. T YmNG Em 2,309,5 3

I BUFFING WHEEL Filed Feb. 24, 1941 :5 Sheets-Sheet 2 kw Yd'om m m Jan 1943- v. J. TWYNlNG E TAL 2,309,553

BUFFING WHEEL File d Feb. 24, 1941 3 Shets-Shee t 3 Patented Jan. 26, 1943 BUFFING WHEEL Vernon J. Twyning, Felix G. Cyrex, and Arthur H. Losey, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignors to J. C. Miller Company, Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application February 24, 1941, Serial No. 380,362

I will appear more fully as the description pro- 3 Claims.

This invention relates in general to blufiing and polishing wheels and is particularly concerned with novel improvements relating to buffing wheels per se, apparatus used in assembling a unitary wheel and the method which is used in assembling the wheel itself.

. Bufilng wheels of this nature may be used singly on a rotating shaft or may be made multiple by placing several of the units side by side on the shaft and securing them in position. While a single wheel will be described here and is shown in the drawings, it is to be understood that as many of these Wheels as desired may be located side by side on a shaft and used in this manner.

It has been customary in the past when assembling buffing wheels of this type to anchor the side plates thereof in place after the entire unit has been placed on the shaft where it is to be used. With our invention, however, it is possible to form a connection between the outside discs of the bufi'ing wheel to thereby form a complete unit independent of the shaft and before it is placed thereon. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide means whereby these outside discs may be secured together to form a unitary structure independent of the shaft.

Itis also to be understood that this invention, in certain respects, may apply with equal force to bufiing wheels which are made up of a plurality of wire'or fiber brush segments as to those which are made up of a plurality of buffing segments formed of cloth. When cloth is used it is customary to form the individual segments by using a number of thicknesses of cloth placed one on top of the other, and it is another object of this invention to provide a novel means of arrangement of these layers of cloth for a specific purpose before they are assembled on the wheel. A further object of the invention is the formation of a bufiing wheel complete in itself being formed of but a single disc instead of the customary two discs clamped together.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a fixture or apparatus which is particularly adapted to be used in assembling the novel hufiing wheel which embodies one form of this invention.

Still a further object is a novel method which has been devised for assembling a complete buffing wheel unit.

Other objects and purposes of the invention ceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends the invention, then, consists of the various means, apparatus, and method hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and following description set forth in detail certain means and a method for carrying out the aforementioned objects, such means and method steps constituting, however, but a few of the various Ways in which the principle of the different phases of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a complete bufiing wheel unit.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section therethrough showing the wheel mounted on a rotatable shaft ready for use.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the two end discs separated from each other with the bufiing segments removed.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified form of a bufling segment in its initial stage of formation.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 after having been folded along the center line thereof.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section through the opening of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through .a modified form of buffing wheel unit.

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of the form shown in Fig. 7 before all of the bufiing segments have been applied thereto.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical section through a portion of the disc shown in Fig. 8 showing the details of the headed pins.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a detail of one of the bufilng segments used in the modified form of wheel shown in Fig. 7.

Fig, 11 is a plan view of the fixture which is utilized in assembling the form of bufiing wheel shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary vertical section through the device of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary detail of and Fig. 14 is a fragmentary elevation of a bufiing wheel showing the use of wire or fiber brushes instead of the cloth buffing segments.

Referringnow more particularly to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3, it will be the fixture,

seen that the unit is made up of two annular discs 1 and 2 which are adapted to be positioned at each side of the completed buffing wheel. In the disc is provided a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart studs 3 which extend inwardly toward the other disc. These studs are adapted to locate the buffing elements and hold them in place between the discs. If it is desired, additional studs 4 may be located on the inner face of the disc 2 for the purpose of spacing the discs a proper distance apart, although in some instances the studs 3 may adequately serve the purpose. When the buffing elements are located between the plates it is desired that they have a freedom of movement radially about the studs as a center and the spacing means between the discs will prevent the discs being clamped so close together that this freedom of movement will be prevented.

The bumng elements as shown hereare indicated at 5. and each is made up of a plurality of layers of cloth placed one over the other first and then folded to form a semi-circle with openings adjacent the straight edge thereof. These openings are of such size as to. receive the studs 3 in the usual manner.

Each disc is provided with a central opening of such size as to receive the shaft on which it is mounted for rotation. On the disc I We have provided a hub 8 extending inwardly toward the second disc and which is provided at its outer end with a flange I having two spaced apart notches 8 extending radially inwardly from the periphery thereof. The disc 2 adjacent the central opening therein is provided with two tongues 9 which are offset inwardly from the plane of the disc 2. distance substantially equal to the thickness thereof and which also extend inwardly toward the center of the disc beyond the periphen of the central opening a distance substantially equal to the depth of the notches 8.

After all of the bufling segments 5 have been located on the respective studs 3 and folded in the usual manner, the disc 2 is placed thereover so that the notches in the flanged hub of the disc I will receive the inwardly extending tongues 9 in the disc 2. A sufficient amount of pressure is then exerted against the upper disc 2 to force the tongues 9 below the flange I, and a rotative movement of the disc 2 will lodge the ends of the tongues beneath the flange thereby frictionally holding the two discs together and completing a bufling wheel unit which is complete in itself ready to be placed on the shaft without the necessity of the usual means for holding the plates together.

The manner in which this works out in practice may be seen in Fig. 2 where the rotating shaft Ill has a threaded end II to receive the buffing Wheel. The inner and outer plates l2 bear in the usual manner against the discs I and 2 and a nut I3 is used to hold the wheel in place and prevent longitudinal movement thereof along the shaft. The advantages of this type of construction will be immediately apparent to those conversant with the art in that the assembly of the wheel into a unit is finished before it is placed on the shaft. There is nothing on the shaft which is used to hold the plates together, it being a complete unit by itself.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 there is shown a different arrangement of the plurality of layers of cloth which usually go to make up a buffing segment. Shown in these figures a buffing segment is made up of several layers of cloth I l, each successive layer being offset or out of alinement with the other immediately adjacent thereto. This provides a plurality of points of different thicknesses ranging from the outermost edge which constitutes but a single thickness of material to the innermost edge which constitutes thicknesses of material equalling the number of layers in the segment. This will be readily apparent upon viewing Figs. 4 and 5. Openings i5 are located at each side of the center line I6 and the layers of cloth are then folded over on the center line so that all of the holes :5 are in alinement with each other thus resulting in a structure like that shown in Fig. 5. To complete the structure a gromet l1 may be inserted within the opening l5 for strengthening purposes, although this is not absolutely necessary. This segment may then be utilized in the usual manner heretofore explained with respect to Figs. 1 to 3, by having the openings l5 receive the studs 3 and proceeding to complete the unit as described.

The chief advantage arising out of this construction is that a greater peripheral speed will be attained by any object the greater distance it is away from the center of rotation. The nearer the center of rotation a less peripheral speed is attained. Therefore at the point of greatest peripheral speed the greatest amount of centrifugal force will be present thus necessitating a lesser thickness of the buffing segment where the centrifugal force is greatest and a greater thickness of material where the centrifugal force is less. In the initial use of a new wheel formed by the segments shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the outermost edges of the segments will constitute but a single layer of material, which is all that is necessary to accomplish the desired buffing or polishing result because the peripheral speed at that point will be suihciently great to induce a centrifugal force which will stiffen the single layer of material sufficiently to produce the proper result. As the bufling segments are worn down due to use, the peripheral speed and the resulting centrifugal force will be less, but the increased thickness of the buffing surface will compensate for this fact and so the useful result in the beginning of a new wheel where a single thickness of material is used will be substantially the same as when the wheel has been used to wear down the bufl'ing segments to a point where they constitute the greatest number of layers. This construction obviously will add appreciably to the life of a buffing wheel.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 7 to 10 there is disclosed here a modified form of the invention wherein a bufiing wheel constitutes a completed unit before it is located on a rotating shaft where it is to be used. In this form of the invention a disc I8 is provided which has at its outer peripheral edge a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart radially extending fingers I9 each of which is provided with a headed pin as shown in Fig. 9 and more particularly described hereinafter. The center of the disc is provided with an opening 20 to receive the shaft H and is flanged outwardly at each side thereof to provide a hub 2 The headed pins which are used in this form of the invention constitute a shaft portion 22 and a head 23 of larger diameter with an intermediate portion 24 therebetween which is larger than the shaft 22 but smaller than the head 23. Openings are provided in the fingers H! to receive the shaft 22. its movement therethrough being limited by the shoulder between the parts 22 and 24 of the pin. A tubular member 25 having a head 26 thereon is then placed over the shaft portion 22, the end 21 of which is then peened over as shown in Fig. 9 to secure the pin to the disc and hold the same in place.

In this form of the invention, buffing segments to be used are substantially the same as those heretofore described, being made up of a plurality of layers of cloth, but the usual holes therein are omitted and in their place along the center line which the segments are folded is provided an elongated slot 28. Centrally located with respect to this slot substantially at right angles thereto and one at each side thereof is provided a short slot 29. In the assembly of this form of the device the slot 28 is placed over one of the fingers l9 and over the headed pin therein. Each half of the segment'is then folded back, so that the head 23 is received in one slot 29 at one side of the disc and the head 26 at the other side receives the other slot 29. The various segments then will be frictionally held in place on each of the fingers 9 of the disc I 8. The usual arrangement of parts onthe shaft H is used as shown in Fig. 7, the smaller plates l2 bearing against the ends of the hub 2| as shown and the nut i3 holding the various members in place. In this form of .the invention the usual double disc construction is dispensed with, necessitating the use of but a single disc thereby making the structure more economical from a manufacturing standpoint. The assembly of the wheel in this case is also quickly and easily performed.

The fixture in Figs. 11 to 13 which we have devised for use in assembling the bufiing wheel shown in Fig. 1 comprises a supporting plate 39 which has a ring 3| spaced upwardly therefrom and secured thereto at one end by the diagonally downturned portion 32. The ring is substantially parallel to the plate 30 and has a parting between its ends as more clearly shown in Fig. 13. A central hub 33 extends upwardly from the plate 30 and is adapted to receive the disc I having the studs 3 extending upwardly from adjacent the periphery thereof. In assembling the unit one of the studs 3 will be located beneath the parting in the ring 3| and one of the bufiing segments placed thereon and folded substantially the way it is desired to appear in the completed structure. The disc I is then rotated in a counter-clockwise direction to a point where the next stud appears below the parting in the ring. The operation is then repeated for each bufling segment, the ring acting in the capacity of holding each preceding segment in place on the disc until they have all been located thereon. After the last segment has been placed on the disc a further rotation thereof is unnecessary because this one segment may be held in place by hand.

An arm 34 which has a downturned portion 35 adjacent its rear end is pivotally secured at 36 to the bearing member 31 which extends upwardly from the plate 30. At a position along the length of the bar 34 such that when the bar is parallel to the plate 30 it will be immediately above the hub 33, a vertical rotatable shaft 38 is located which passes through the bar 34 and has secured at its lower end an annular plate 39 having a raised central portion 40. A plurality of studs 4| extend downwardly from the lower side of this plate in spaced apart relation for a purpose which will presently be described. At

the upper end of the shaft 38 a member 42 is secured which in turn has .secured thereto an outwardly extending arm 43. Any rotation .of the arm 43 will obviously cause a similar rotation of the plate 39.

The disc 2 may have a plurality of openings therein mainly for the purpose of giving the completed wheel less weight. These openings may take any desired form but in Fig. 3 they are shown at 44 as being arcuate slots. Similar slots 44a may also be provided in the disc I for the same reason. In assembling the wheel these slots in the disc 2 are utilized as will appear immediately hereinafter.

After all of the segments have been located on their respective studs, the disc 2 will then be placed on top of the segments and centered with respect to the hub 6. The appearance of the structure at this point will then be like that shown in Figs. 11 and 12. The arm 34 with its connected rod 43 will then be brought down so that the studs 4| on the plate 39 will be received in the openings or slots 44. Pressure on the bar 34 through the plate 39 will be transmitted to the disc 2 whose tongues 9 will previously have been alined with the slots 8 in the flange 1 on the hub B. A suflicient pressure will be exerted so that the tongues 9 will pass below the flange 1. This pressure will be somewhat yielding because the disc will lie directly against the several buffing segments. At this point the rod 43 is caused to rotate about the shaft 38 as an axis, and the studs 4| will contact an end of the slots 44 thereby also causing the disc 2 to rotate until the tongues 9 are directly under a solid portion of the flange The yieldable buifing segments will cause a sufiicient upward pressure and the studs 3 and 4 will be of such length that the tongues 9 will be forced against the under side of the flange 1 to thereby frictionally hold the discs together. The bufiing wheel is then a complete unit in itself and after removal from the fixture will be ready for use.

After the disc 2 has been secured in place it then becomes necessary to remove the wheel from the fixture. Inasmuch as all of the bufiing segments except the last one are under a certain amount of compression due to the ring 3|, a clockwise rotation of the entire wheel will cause each segment, as it contacts the connecting portion 32 between the ring 3| and the plate 30, to be moved upwardly from below the ring to the top side thereof. A complete revolution of the wheel in this direction will have freed all of the segments so that the wheel may then be merely lifted from th fixture, after the bar 34 and its connected parts have been moved out of the way.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that in any form of the invention disclosed a completed buffing wheel unit is made up which is independent of any holding means which is usually applied to the shaft on which the wheel rotates when in use. Furthermore, the fixture which we have devised and the method used for the purposes of assembling the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 enables the wheel to be assembled quickly and easily. It is to be understood that the openings or slots in the discs may not be necessary and if these are omitted, any other equivalent means may be employed between the plate 39 and the disc 2 to cause a rotation of the disc 2 when the rod 43 is moved. Other means may be provided for the studs 4| to bear against or a mere frictional engagement between the two plates would be sufl'icient for the purpose desired.

In Fig. 14 there is disclosed flexible wire or fiber brush members 45 to take the place of the cloth buffing segments. If segments of this nature are to be used, the same construction described with regard to Figs. 1 to 3 may be employed, the disc 2 being held in contact with the studs on disc I in the same manner. The same method of assembly may be used without departing in any way from the spirit of the invention. The buffing wheel and the method of assembling does not depend upon the type of material used for the buffing segments. Regardless of the material used, the invention is to be considered as being comprehensive of all types.

Other modes of applying the principle of our invention may be used instead of the one here described, change being made as regards the structure and steps herein disclosed provided, however, that the mechanism and method stated by any of the following claims, or the equivalent thereof be employed.

We claim:'

1. A buifing wheel comprising, two spaced apart discs, bufling means between said discs extending outwardly beyond the peripheries thereof, spacing means between said discs, a hub on one of said discs extending toward the other disc, and cooperating means on said hub and said other disc to releasably secure said discs together.

2. A. buffing wheel comprising, two spaced apart discs having alined central openings therein for mounting on a shaft, bufiing means located between said discs and extending outwardly beyond the peripheries thereof, spacing means between said discs, a hub on one of said discs extending toward the other disc, and interengaging means on said hub and other disc for frictionally holding said discs together.

3. A buffing wheel comprising, two spaced apart discs having alined central openings therein for mounting on a shaft, bufling means located between said discs and extending outwardly beyond the peripheries thereof, spacing means between said discs, a hub on one of said discs extending toward the other disc, an annular .flange on the outer end of said hub having two spaced apart slots extending radially inwardly from the peripheral edge thereof, and tongues on said other disc adapted to be received in said slots, whereby a relative rotative movement between the two discs will cause a frictional engagement between said tongues and flange to hold said discs together.

VERNON J. TWYNING. FELIX G. CYREX. ARTHUR H. LOSEY. 

